Laurel City Council Approves Ordinance to Regulate Patient Discharge

City leaders in Laurel reported an uptick in illegal patient dumping, where individuals discharged from institutions were left in local parking lots without confirmed shelter placement. Following these reports, the city council approved the first reading of a new discharge ordinance. This ordinance requires that any organization transporting patients into Laurel must first secure confirmed acceptance from a local shelter.

The new ordinance mandates that institutions must coordinate basic acceptance with Laurel shelters and notify the Laurel Police Department’s 24-hour dispatch before transporting patients. This introduces new compliance requirements for facilities discharging patients into the city.